Croft In The Gatekeeper — Lara

Often cited by speedrunners and criticized by traditionalists, this segment of the game represents a pivotal moment where developer Crystal Dynamics experimented with pacing, physics, and the very nature of what a Tomb Raider level could be.

Lara’s intervention here is cosmologically significant. She does not "raid" the tomb in the traditional sense; she destroys its primary artifact to restore cosmic balance. By setting fire to Himiko’s body and destroying the corpse, Lara permanently severs the soul-transfer ritual. The immediate result is the dissipation of the violent storms surrounding Yamatai. The membrane keeping the island trapped in a state of undeath is lifted. Lara has effectively locked the gate. She does not just save her friend; she exorcises an island, laying to rest thousands of trapped, suffering souls and freeing the geographic space to return to the natural world. lara croft in the gatekeeper